Pancetta, Goat Cheese, & Pea Pasta
This Pancetta & Goat Cheese pasta is well-rounded in flavor, requires minimal ingredients, and best of all? It cooks up in less than 15 minutes!! This delicious and creamy pasta features salty and savory pancetta and bright sweet peas in a creamy garlic wine sauce, which is then topped with 2 types of cheeses – umami-rich parmesan and tart tangy goat cheese! This Pancetta and Goat Cheese Pasta is salty, savory, sweet, and of course just a touch tart from the goat cheese. Truly a well-rounded flavor profile that is also immensely satisfying!
What is Pancetta?
Pancetta is a cured pork. It is, simply put, basically unsmoked bacon. The flavor is salty and extremely savory. The texture, when fried, is almost identical to fried bacon. It typically comes in a log shape that is cut into slices, and it has a very high fat-content. The high fat-content lends itself to being rendered very well. What is rendering? It is the process of extracting the fat from the meat, which produces a very flavorful fat to use as a base for making other things. In this Pancetta and Goat Cheese Pasta, the pancetta is fried up to be crispy, and it’s rendered fat is used as the base for the creamy pasta sauce. The result is a sauce that is umami-rich in meaty savory flavors!
You can find pancetta at almost any grocery store deli. When getting it sliced, I typically ask for about ¼” thick slices. Then, when I am preparing the pancetta for the pasta, I simple cut the pancetta into cubes, which are about ½” long x ½” wide x ¼” thick. If you can’t find pancetta, or are in a pinch, you can substitute the pancetta for bacon. Bacon will just add a smoky flavor to the dish, so if you’re into that feel free to substitute! As well, guanciale can also be used as a substitute.
Which Type of White Wine?
In most recipes, the wine you typically want to use is a dry white wine. The reason for this is because you typically don’t want any unwanted sweet flavors being imparted into the dish from a sweet wine. When wine is added to a dish, it’s inherent flavors and sweetness are intensified as it is reduced. For that reason, a sweet wine will become even sweeter as it is reduced into a sauce, which is usually a no-go for most recipes.
This recipe for Pancetta and Goat Cheese Pasta is the exception though! The use of a sweeter wine actually plays wonderfully with the tart flavors from the goat cheese! I have tried this recipe with both a dry white, such as sauvignon blanc, as well as a more sweet white, such as Moscato. Both varieties were absolutely wonderful in the final dish – one left a more classic wine-sauce flavor, while the other was delicately sweet, which again paired so well with the tart goat cheese. There is a slight caveat to this however. If using a sweet wine, such as Moscato, still look for a wine that is higher in alcohol %. I used a Moscato that had a 12.5% ABV. I believe that the varieties with a lower ABV% would actually be much too sweet – so that means stay away from those 8-10% ABV varieties!
How to Make the Pancetta and Goat Cheese Pasta
To make the sauce for this Pancetta and Goat Cheese Pasta, you start by melting the butter over medium heat in a large pan. After the butter is slightly bubbling, throw in the pancetta. The pancetta should now fry for a few minutes, until it becomes nice and crispy – similar to fried bacon pieces. Remove the pancetta onto a separate plate fitted with a paper towel to absorb the excess fat, and then drain about half of the rendered fat from the pan. Return the pan to the heat, then add in the garlic and red pepper flakes, and fry for about 1 minute, or until the garlic becomes super fragrant. Next, pour the wine in, and allow the wine to reduce for about 2 minutes, or until it is reduced by half. Now, throw in the cream and peas, bring to a light boil, and simmer until the sauce has thickened up – about 3-4 minutes.
Now it’s time to add the pasta. Add the cooked pasta, and toss it all to combine. Add in the parmesan cheese, and then slowly add just enough pasta water until the sauce is glossy and coating the pasta well, but not dry. The pasta is finished by adding the pancetta back, topping with goat cheese, seasoning with salt & pepper, and tossing one last time!
TRY TO HAVE PASTA AND SAUCE DONE AT THE SAME TIME
As an aside, it is important to look at your pasta box’s suggested cooking time, and decide from there when to start the pasta. The goal is to have the pasta be done at the exact same time as the sauce. That being said, if they are not done at the same time, it is better for your sauce to be done first. The sauce can sit for a few minutes on low, while if the pasta sits it will continue to cook and will quickly become overcooked and mushy. Pasta cooking time can range from 3 minutes all the way up to 15, so it is important to gauge when to start it in contrast to your sauce. This Pancetta and Goat Cheese Pasta sauce’s cooking time is approximately 12 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
• Bacon or guanciale can be substituted for the pancetta.
◦ If you don’t like goat cheese, feel free to just skip it. This pasta is delicious either way.
• Chicken stock can be used in place of wine.
◦ Any short pasta variety can be used.
Get the Recipe: Pancetta & Goat Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340g) Short Pasta Variety , (I used orecchiette)
- 1 cup Reserved Pasta Water
- 1 tsp Butter
- 150 g Pancetta,, cubed small
- 4 Garlic Cloves,, crushed or minced
- Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 cup White Wine
- 2/3 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/3 cup Crumbled Soft Goat Cheese
- Salt & Pepper,, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then turn to medium-high heat. Add pasta into the pot and cook according to box time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in a large frying pan add butter and melt over medium heat. Add pancetta, and fry for about 5-6 minutes, or until the pancetta is golden in color and crispy. Remove pancetta from pan and place into a bowl for later. Discard all but 1 tbsp of rendered pancetta fat from the pan, then add in red pepper flakes and garlic cloves. Fry for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add wine to pan and use it to deglaze the pan, then cook wine until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Next, add in heavy cream and peas. Cook until heavy cream has thickened slightly, about 4-5 minutes. (Sauce time = 15 minutes)
- Add cooked pasta and pancetta to the pan, and toss to combine with the sauce. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over top of the pasta, and toss to combine. Add just enough pasta water, in small additions, until the sauce looks smooth and glossy, and coats the noodles well. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese, then season with salt & pepper. Toss one last time before serving.
Notes
Related Recipes
Looking for more recipes with Goat Cheese? Check out these below:
SLICED MANDARIN & GOAT CHEESE SALAD. This is my go-to lunch salad! Easy to make and full of delicious ingredients such as mandarins, goat cheese, and honey-glazed almonds.
PROSCIUTTO AND GOAT CHEESE PAN PIZZA. This amazing homemade pizza uses a cast-iron pan to mimic pizzeria-style pizza. It features prosciutto, goat cheese, and balsamic reduction.
ROASTED BEET AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD. This hearty salad features maple-glazed roasted beets, goat cheese, candied walnuts, and a homemade maple sherry vinaigrette.
